THE lure of a Junior Wallabies jersey has been driving former Saint Stanislaus’ College first XV skipper Bo Abra to ignore to heat and focus on impressing selectors this week in Canberra.
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The talented prop joined the rest of the Junior Wallabies 52-player squad at the Australian Institute of Sport for a camp where he can stake his claims on a green and gold jumper.
While then mercury sat in the high 30s, Abra was pushing hard to impress, knowing a spot in the final squad which will attend the World Rugby Under 20s Championship pool in June will not come easily.
“All I’ve got to do is learn,” the 19-year-old said.
“I’m getting all these opportunities to get coached by all these professional coaches, who all like to coach in different ways.
”Training is going to get harder and harder as we go and more intense, and the standards are going to get higher and higher.”
As Abra, who now plays his club football for Eastern Suburbs, pushes to join the ranks of Stannies graduates who have worn a Wallabies jumper, he has focused on making himself a more versatile player.
“I’m doing a few extra sessions on my ball carries and my tackle technique as well as all my scrum stuff,” he said.
“What Australian rugby really aim for us to do is they want the front-rowers to make as many tackles as possible so the more elusive players, aka the back-rowers, can be over the ball in the breakdown.
“Australian 20s is something I’ve been working towards for a couple of years to try and develop to.”
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Junior Wallabies coach Jason Gilmore said the camp was be an important one to set the tone for the next five months.
“The squad have been working hard over the break in their respective state academies,” he said.
“The work that they’re putting in will hold them in good stead as we begin our preparations for the World Championship in Argentina in June.
“We’ve seen a lot of this group playing at both club and representative level, they’re showing a lot of promise, however, no position is set and the group will need to constantly work to make the starting line-up.”
The Junior Wallabies will take on England, Italy and Ireland in their championship pool games.
